Nurses' knowledge, attitude, and fall prevention practices at south Korean hospitals: a cross-sectional survey

Background Fall-prevention activities are nursing interventions which are designed to improve patient safety. The introduction of evaluations of medical institutions and an increase in medical litigation has led institutions to emphasize the importance of fall-prevention activities. The current situation regarding falls among patients in small and medium-sized hospitals is poorly understood. This study assessed knowledge and attitudes regarding falls, and fall-prevention activities of nurses working in small- and medium-sized hospitals. Methods Nurses (N = 162) from seven small- and medium-sized hospitals participated in the study. Data on participants' characteristics, education regarding patient falls, knowledge of stretcher cart use, attitudes regarding patient falls, and fall-prevention activities were collected from August 1 to September 1, 2016. Results Nurses' knowledge of patient falls was positively correlated with their experience with inpatient falls. Furthermore, nurses' attitudes regarding falls were influenced by their nursing experience and fall prevention education. Attitudes positively correlated with fall-prevention activities, but knowledge did not. Nurses' attitudes regarding patient falls were correlated with fall-prevention activities. Conclusion Hospitals should develop incentive programs to improve nurses' attitudes which are based on their subjective norms and tailored to each hospital's specific circumstances to ensure engagement in fall prevention activities. In short, we recommend that consistent, repeated, and custom fall-prevention education should be implemented in small- and medium-sized hospitals to promote engagement in fall-prevention activities. Patient safety activities in small- and medium-sized hospitals can be enhanced by creating an environment that encourages active and self-directed participation in developing fall-prevention strategies using motivation and rewards.